See-saw ride all too familiar for GWU basketball followers

Thursday

Feb 7, 2013 at 12:01 AMFeb 7, 2013 at 7:55 PM

Alan Ford

Gardner-Webb University basketball players, coaches and fans have been on this ride before.

The trademark of the Runniní Bulldogs in menís basketball at present has to do with all the white-knuckle contests played down to the wire Ė win or lose. That was the case in another narrow defeat at Presbyterian Wednesday night.

Itís rare, especially against Big South Conference competition, when theyíve been in a one-sided contest either way. It can be exhausting and fray oneís nerves, especially as tournament time nears.

GWU coach Chris Holtmann has said many times Ė his team doesnít have the margin for error to not play well in any key facet of the game and still win.

What that means is, if you get beaten on the boards badly, turn the ball over a large number of times, or just donít shoot well a particular night Ė well, it can be fatal.

With so many high-tension games settled late, itís a mistake just to single out great plays or mistakes in the final seconds. Yet, as almost any coach will tell you, itís all the battles that took place in the first 39 minutes that matter most.

Since Holtmann and his staff took the reins, GWU has improved its talent level. One step has been to bring in more rangy, mid-size guys versatile on both ends of the floor.

But in mid-major conferences like the Big South, the Southern or Atlantic Sun, a lot of teams are in similar situations. Coaches have more options when finding perimeter players.

Itís harder for schools in these places to bring in dominant post players. In fact, check out the ACC, the SEC and the Big 10, where benches are filled with 6-8 or bigger players that could be difference makers for a Gardner-Webb, ASU or Liberty.

Team chemistry is often what determines if a team can break through to a championship level. But that phrase isnít only about a player making a good pass to a teammate once in a while. Besides unselfish play, it shows up most often on the defensive end of the court.

Thatís an area where GWU can deal with opponents right now. When it doesnít happen, itís addressed rather quickly in timeouts or at halftime.

The íDogs are capable of beating anyone in the Big South right now without it being considered an upset. But the consistency to do it regularly has yet to be accomplished.

It's if and when Gardner-Webb clears that hurdle, that will determine the programís ultimate fate this year and in the future.